The re-scheduled House of Assembly primaries election in Kosofe Constituency 11 of Lagos State, which was relocated from Agboyi Ketu Local Council Development Area to Ikosi Isheri Local Council Development Area, has led to tension in the area and caused a huge panic among residents.
The election, which could not hold on Tuesday as did across the country and in all constituencies of the state, was re-scheduled for Wednesday following disagreement among stakeholders who insisted that the election must not hold because one of the local governments, Agboyi Ketu, does not have a party executive, which should be a part of the delegates for the election.
When the disagreement started to boil over, causing tension, with delegates and thugs throwing caution to the winds and started exchanging blows, with broken bottles freely used, the primaries was postponed to Wednesday and relocated from Agboyi Ketu LCDA to Ikosi Isheri LCDA.
However, trouble started as early as 7am in Ikosi Isheri LCDA when one of the Lagos East Senatorial District leaders, Chief Abiodun Sunmola, who resides outside the constituency, was allegedly spotted by some delegates who had arrived the venue early to see to the situation of things.
According to an eyewitness, it was on sighting the elderly leader that some of the delegates were said to have confronted him to know his mission.
When he wouldn’t let them know, they started to rough handle him, shouting: “Ole! Ole!! Ole!!! (meaning thief, thief, thief), with some pouring sachets of pure water on him.
It was the quick intervention of the men of the Nigerian Police who were already on ground that saved the day.
The development attracted more people to the scene and led to increased Police presence at the entrance into the venue, but that did not deter those bent on ensuring a repeat of the cancellation of the previous day happens again.
When the entrance into the premises became impenetrable for people with due accreditation and means of identification, some resorted to jumping the fence into the premises, but were promptly arrested, while others resorted to throwing bottles and stones into the premises, leading the detachment of police to start shooting into the air and also shooting canisters of teargas to disperse the crowd.
When the situation became very rowdy, the Police deployed an Armoured Personnel Carrier to the gate of the local government, with over 15 Police pick up vans.
They cordoned off the whole of IKosi Road, where the council is located, and the entire environment.
Reacting to the development, a former Chairman of Kosofe Local Government Area and a candidate in the election, Tunde Buraimoh described the development as unfortunate.
Buraimoh said he was ashamed that it was only in the constituency that the election could not hold as scheduled, advising all delegates and aspirants not to cause any problem in the area.
Also speaking, the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Dr. Ajibayo Adeyeye, who is also an aspirant in the election, expressed surprise at the development.
Adeyeye appealed to leaders in the constituency not to be desperate about their support for anyone of them, but allow peace to reign.
Another aspirant, Ogunleye Oluwole, also pleaded with leaders and stakeholders in the constituency to give peace a chance.
Oluwole begged that they should allow things to follow its natural course.
A former Chairman of Ikosi Isheri LCDA, Kunle Soname, also pleaded for leaders and stakeholders to allow peace to reign.
Soname said the people should be allowed to pick their preferred aspirant.
Efforts to get Sunmola’s reaction proved abortive.
When a call was put to his phone, it was picked by a man who asked why this reporter wanted to speak with him.
When he was told, he asked him to hold the line so it can be transferred, but the line soon went dead and all efforts to get through to the line again failed.
There are 10 aspirants in the constituency.
They are Adeyeye, Buraimoh, Oluwole, Yetunde Arobieke, Olojo Kosoko, Adebayo Adetunji Abiodun, Joko Dawodu Omotola, Moshood Owolowo, Daramola Michael Kolawole and Shonuga Charles Tokunboh.
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